Unidentified Teleportation Device
by Raikou-Neko
Summary: I'm really not good at summaries. For the most part, the story is original, though it follows a Kingdom Hearts like world jumping plot. The worlds are from various anime and novels. Note: Volume one is in the making.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Ok, I tend to have cross-over story plots in my head that come abruptly and leave in the same manner. To keep up such a story, I've decided to write one of the world's greatest cross-overs. In the first "volume", you will notice similarities from the following things, but not necessarily direct references:

Kingdom Hearts  
Kingdom Hearts II  
Naruto (the manga)  
Tsubasa Chronicle

I also give credit to the authors of such stories (or illustrators/plot writers). Without them, this story would be gone. Plus, as a disclaimer, I do not own the characters of such novels, animes, mangas or games. This part of the story takes place in the Naruto world after the time-skip, but it has no relevance to the story…like an OVA or something…XD

Also, my dear friends from school, you play parts in this as well, Kila being a major character from the beginning. I'm not that far in the progression of the plot yet so be patient. Oh, and I might have made slight moderations to your character, as I have done myself has made her hair about a 2 feet longer than it is. You can request this, but hurry. Lastly, small translations since I normally write with Japanese phrases mixed into my writing.

wakka-sama - translated as "m'lord" in all the translations I've seen.  
-san - honorific suffix, used for people not close to you, or in formal situations.  
-dono - honorific suffix, used for people you think highly of.  
kanji - Japanese writing  
uesama - emperor, ruler  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 1: Enter the Portal  
----------  
I'm going to retell this story. Or, at least as it happens to me. Think of this, as a diary of sorts. Or maybe a documentary. I don't know if we'll die or survive, live another day or die in our sleep. You'll understand who I am momentarily, but you-who-reads-this, formally publish it. It is a rather interesting thing, this life, and I expect you will enjoy it. 

A young girl of Native-American heritage glanced around furtively. Her soft brown eyes were shifting behind gold-rimmed glasses. Her nearly black, waist-length, wavy brown hair pulled back in a tight braid. She stopped her gentle trot through the darkening forest and glanced back, her lithe, well-muscled shape silhouetted from a small sun spot she stood in.

"Where do we go now, wakka-sama?" Kila inquired, her voice wavering with the sheer adrenaline of the moment still rushing through her veins. She peered back into the darkness. Another figure moved far slower than Kila's swift trot. It appeared to be a young teen, probably 14 or 15. He wasn't extraordinarily tall, but he was not what one would consider short. He appeared scrawny, with no fat on his bones. He was, however, muscular, despite his skinny frame.

"I don't know, Kila-dono." The person she had asked replied in a defeated manner, his feet dragging as he pressed forward, his shoulder-length, strawberry-blonde, once silky hair over his face shielding his emerald eyes from view. He had made up his mind. His mistakes were tallying far too high. He had to leave.

"Then, why, wakka-sama, did we leave in the first place? Did you ever even think of what we will eat in this forest? Or what we will use to catch or forage food? It's not exactly like we can simply stroll into the nearest town with a wanted prince and request them to give us weapons and tools for free..." I ranted irritably, tossing my head so that a strand of my knee-length, deep chestnut brown would move back into place. It promptly fell back into my face. My sea-gray, black rimmed eyes narrowed. I repeated the action. It repeated its misconduct.

"GAAHH!" I yelled in frustration, scratching my head violently. Again the annoying strand of hair fell into place, but this time I paid no heed.  
In the fluid speech of one, lone, mind;

"Oh..." Kila.

"...my..." Me.

"GOD." Akira.

Pause on the story for a second. Originally, because we, as royal body guards, are genetically enhanced, only Kila and I shared a mental link. One depressing day, Akira got stabbed (In a stupid fencing duel for honor. Not even PRACTICE swords for God's sake.) and needed a blood transfusion then and there. Being engineered so, Kila and I have a special blood that allows it to be mixed with that of any other blood type for emergencies such as thus. As an unknown side effect at that time, he was joined into our telepathy. He gained other powers as well, but they'll come in later.

The three of us gawked at the shimmering light. It was in a small patch of dying, red sunlight. It looked like some sort of portal. Upon laying eyes on it, you knew it was a portal. It looked like heat waves, off a stove in winter. But unlike it's warm counterpart, these waves did not show the trees behind it. It showed a city. It didn't actually look so much a city as it did a village or town. Overlooking the city was a cliff. Four faces, clearly some sort of leaders, were carved into the rock. A fifth was in the process of being engraved into the dirt colored stone.

Two common symbols clearly marked buildings of importance. One I knew for the Japanese kanji of "fire". The other, I had never seen. I inferred it to be a kanji character, like the other, but as to what it meant I was clueless.

"An excellent escape, if we could find a way to turn it off once we crossed through..." Akira murmured. Half to himself, half to us. Not that he needed to talk. I had already processed and dismissed that thought as folly.

"Wakka-sama, we have no clue where that leads." Kila started.

"It could lead right into our dear uesama's dungeon for all we know." I finished, glancing about. Something seemed off. It was as if we were compelled to go into that spawn of a mighty conflagration. 

A sound reached my ears. The sound of baying hounds on the scent, as well as the very hushed sounds of shouts.

"Akira-sama." Kila and I warned at the same time. In a sudden rush, I realized I could not access his thoughts. He was planning. And he didn't want us to know what he was thinking. NOT a good sign.

Abruptly, he lurched forward. Had it not been a danger to him, I would have rushed forward. My superhuman speed would have enabled me to catch the young prince. Genetic engineering made my body lithe and well muscled, like Kila. But it was a danger. His body could not adjust to the speeds at which I could move, so that even if I reached out and jerked him back, he risked internal bleeding.

All I could do was watch in utter horror as the heat wave-like portal enveloped his body. As one, Kila and I followed. It was only natural. Where he went, we went. Simple as that. The last thing I remember was a gentle heat and the world spinning in a mixing rush of colors.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes:  
This chapter, and the next few, will interest Naruto fans...to say the least. But it may/may not contain spoilers for post-time skip. So for those who watch/read Naruto and don't want it spoiled, here is the warning.

WARNING! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!  
And my description of the characters can be altered at any time (through a post below of course), because I tend to make mistakes. A LOT. Also, if you see in errors in the spelling, grammar, etc..., post it and I'll correct it below. If you see and errors in a mis-character (where I refer/use a character when I mean another. I.E.: Sakura likes Naruto. [When I mean; Sakura likes Sasuke., PLEASE post it in the review. It can be confusing for the author just as much as the reader . "

Glossary:  
dattebayo - it means nothing. It's just some weird thing that Naruto says after every few sentences (it is, I believe, the base for the English version's "Believe it!").  
-chan - suffix on a name, basically represents that you're close to another and it's mostly used between 2 girls or a guy using it on a girl (only when you have, say, a younger brother, would you use -chan on a guy. And he'd have to be kind of young. Its sort of a cutsy thing)  
arigato - thanks  
arigato gozaimasu - Thank you; thank you very much  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 2:  
Enter Konoha  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Okay, you probably understand I survive this whole ordeal, which is true, in a way. But this "world" at it can be suitably called, was; correction, IS, parallel to our own. The city, a few may find...familiar. 

I slid in and out of consciousness for awhile. I knew that much. Words kept floating through my mind. Someone around me was having an argument. The air felt warm. That was strange, since it was early fall. It should be a lot cool, since we lived in the north.

The realization hit me like a tractor-trailer truck. I was almost fully awake now, my senses in use. I tried to get up and open my eyes, and was seriously shocked. While I was awake, and could hear and smell perfectly, I couldn't see or move. The key things one needs when they awaken. The only thing that kept me from going into a panic was my training. I had to stay calm. Maybe I could listen in on the argument around me.

"...shut up? You're starting to drive me crazy." Came a completely unfamiliar girl's voice. She sounded anywhere from 12 to 16. Not very old for a captor.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan. But he won't tell me anything that I can believe!" Came a rather obnoxious sounding voice. It was male, and sounded around the same age as the girl.

"Of course he won't say anything! He's either an enemy, making up stories, or he's as he says, and fell through a portal." The girl snapped, her patientence clearly breaking up. As an afterthought, she murmured, "Which I do agree, its kind of hard to believe."

"See?" The sound of rustling and movement reached my ears. Slowly and carefully, I tried to move again. There were ropes around my arms, binding them to my sides. I tensed my legs, testing the bonds on them. They, too, were bound together.  
A sharp sound reached my ears. Something was running toward them. While it didn't seem to alarm my two captors, it certainly did move fast. I relaxed. If my captors weren't twitchy, then I shouldn't be. With quickly hidden surprise, I realized that one of my captors stood in front of me. I felt hands tugging on the blindfold, and the pain of bright light on fully dilated eyes seared through my head. Long used to pain, I simply ignored it and narrowed my eyes against the agonizing sun beams.

I hurriedly scanned my surroundings. They revealed nothing. Quickly, I returned my gaze to those before me. Akira was across from me, already unblindfolded. He was scowling, but that meant nothing. He used facial expressions to mask what he was really thinking. I looked up at my captors, and simply stared. The attire of these people was...stunning.

The girl was wearing a red, sleeveless shirt, which zipped up in the front. From the side view I had, I could tell it sported a some sort of symbol on the back. Her arms had pale pink bracers at the elbow that went about 4 inches in both directions and she wore neatly cut, black gloves. Both gave her a dangerous look which was offset by her salmon pink (Yes, I said salmon pink. No typo.), shoulder-length hair and sea-green eyes. Her hair-line started back a bit on her head, giving her a rather large forehead that slightly spoiled her good looks. To my slight irritation (due to my protests against any and all skimpy outfits), she wore tight black under shorts, and a pale pink colored over-skirt with the zipper unzipped half-way on the front and back. The slits were so large, they couldn't be considered slits. They ran all the way up the sides to the waistband, and were held together with belt-buckled straps. Under one of the under short-legs, a cloth bandage could be seen that ran to about 3 inches under to where the under shorts ended. Her foot attire consisted of knee-high black boots. They were sturdy, except the area that would cover her toes was gone. The part along her shins seemed to be some sort of armor.

The boy was a spiky-haired blonde with a black bandana across his forehead in the manner of a headband. The bandana-turned-headband had a metal plate and the same symbol that could be observed throughout the town. He had sapphire blue eyes and three parallel scars in the same spots on each cheek, giving the illusion of cat scratches or whiskers. The contrast between his attire and the girl's was shocking. His was flashy and eye catching. He wore an orange jump suit, that looked as if it was old, but kept in good working order. The jacket he wore was mostly orange, although the bottom, zipper line, shoulder area, high collar and sleeves were black. On his left shoulder, there was a small circular plate attached to the jacket. He wore orange pants, the same shade as his jacket. They came to about mid-shin on him, and would normally be repulsive had he not worn black sandals, much in the same fashion as his female companion. Along with the sandals to dim the meretricious pants, was a cloth bandage in the same spot as the girl, except on the outside. In addition to the extra cloth on his leg, there was a pouch attached to the back left side of his pants.

The boy was the one who had unblind-folded me. He was working Kila-dono's blindfold free.

'Beware the light.' I mentally warned.

'Arigato...'

I saw her eyes narrow as the brilliant sun lighted her face.

"So...who exactly are you guys?" The girl inquired, her face brimming with curiosity. Mentally, we glanced at one another.

'We can't answer truthfully.' I decided.

'Agreed. We'd be too easy to track if your father's men find the gate.' Kila remarked.

'Seems reasonable. So what do we tell them?' Akira thought through the telepathic link.

'Uhh...'  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
End Chapter  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
End Notes:

Sakura and Naruto's clothing, its the official. I got their new pictures from the anime Time-skip place (the filler is over! Finally! Thursday, Dattebayo will release the first non-filler Naruto episode in over 80 episodes!)


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Notes: I really need to start writing...I'm well into my 5th page and stopped on the back of my first (technically, I've written 10 pages, front and back, writing is tiny, so yeah)  
I've added what this is a fanfic to... 

The Alien movies

searches for page 1 and finds it mixed in a pile of papers  
Now! on with the story! 

Glossary:  
kunai - type of Japanese flat, aero-dynamic, throwing knife, commonly associated with ninjas.  
-kun - commonly used on males, but can be used on girls. Kila will use it on Neko later. It can be used m X m, f X m, and f X f.  
hitotoki fukappatsu - time slow, moment freeze, etc...  
raikou no hirameki - Lightning's Flash  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 3:  
Enter Ninjas and Silas Searchers  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Hang on. We should introduce ourselves first. I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Dattebayo!" The boy named Naruto said with such enthusiasm that one had to wonder about his sanity.

"I guess since were doing introductions, I should include myself. I'm Haruno Sakura." She blinked at us, waiting patiently for Akira, Kila and myself to follow their example.

"I'm Neko. That is Akira, and that's Kila. We're traveling around, with no actual destination..."I explained without flourish. I wasn't all too good at stately things. Not like Akira or Kila.

"Well met!" Naruto exclaimed, punching the sky. On instinct, I smiled. I liked his personality, even if it would be annoying after awhile.

"Naruto...I think it would be best if you calmed down a bit..." Sakura suggested uneasily, her sea-green eyes shifting a bit. Naruto blinked. As he brought his fist down, he jerked it to the side. A small kunai flew from his hand and into the tree line.

A scream cut through the brief silence that followed. It wasn't the scream of the dying, but certainly told everyone the kunai had met its mark. The scream was most definitely human.

Instantaneously, the spiky-haired blonde was gone. He had disappeared into the trees as soon as the person had screamed. Sakura crouched down in front of us, in a battle ready stance.

"Listen, I don't really know who you are, or why you're here, but there are people watching us. And they aren't friendly." Sakura whispered, her voice firm but hushed.

"We know." The three of us used the power of unison to emphasize our point. 

Sakura's eyes widened. If she thought we were helpless, she was going to be very much mistaken.

"We truly did find some sort of rift in our world to yours. It was partially a mistake that we came across it. But enough of that. Among our people we are elite. We had top grades and thanks to DNA grafting and the altering of genetics, we have other abilities that wouldn't be considered human. What we would like to know is just where we are." Akira whispered quickly in a vague explanation. He had caught onto the danger sense Kila and I were emitting, which, from his voice, alarmed him. Normally, where there was danger, he could sense nothing from Kila and nothing from me. The fact that he could now was causing him to sink into a controlled panic.

"Hmm...I still believe your story is a bit far-fetched, but let's say I believe you for now. Will you promise not to run if I untie you? It's going to be difficult to guard the three of you, seeing how Naruto-kun hasn't returned. If you are as elite as you say, then your help would be better than if I fight alone." Sakura requested, her oddly colored eyes full of something that might have been innocent trust.

"We swear it on our lives." Again, unison power.  
Sakura blinked, but said nothing. She whipped out her own kunai with long practiced speed. With just as much speed, which was evenly measured, she slashed our rope bonds free. I stood up and rubbed my red, sore wrists.

A flash of orange in front of me caught my eye. I leapt from a stand-still, my altered legs allowing me to jump far higher than what was considered normal. I seemed suspended in time, while everything around me looked to be on fast-forward. Naruto's body slammed into the ground where I had been only milliseconds before. My eyes widened. I really had to put up my guard. For me not to have sensed this, so close, meant one of two things. Both equally bad. One would be that my senses were dulling. My reaction time appeared to be the same, but my "6th sense" if you can call it that, might have dulled from the portal trip. Which was dangerous. The other was that the enemy had done this to Naruto, someone who, despite his idiotic nature and appearance, would be an opponent not easily matched.

As I returned to Earth, I took note of the damage to his body. He had a few cuts, but most of the damage was done by forceful blows. Naruto was unconscious.

"NARUTO!" Sakura cried out, shock and emotion causing her to break her defensive stance and run for the body of her friend. I closed my silver-gray eyes, grasping for one of the many things I could do. Taking it into my mind, I took one deep, calming breath. I needed to keep any and all of my own emotions in check. One of the many tattoos that decorated my body glowed the white-purple-blue of lightning through my black sleeve.

Suddenly, everything slowed to a stop. Including myself, for a moment. I landed a few feet from Naruto's body. Quickly, I walked over to him and bent down. He looked frozen, almost dead, but I knew that was because of my Hitotoki Fukappatsu. I carefully reached down and very, very slowly pulled back the lid of one of his eyes. If I did this in what would seem like a normal speed, while in my hitotoki fukappatsu, it would probably rip his eyelid off. Which wouldn't be good. I got out a small flash light and aimed it at his eye. No response. Not even an extremely slow one. Naruto had a concussion. 

Pause the story! It's very hard to explain, but in Hitotoki Fukappatsu, I'm not visible. Think of it as an ultra fast slip dimension. I'm moving far faster than anyone else, in a split off of normal speed. Both are moving, but I'm moving far faster. Hitotoki Fukappatsu was just the technical name I gave the odd ability. Hitotoki Fukappatsu is a far more accurate name than the far more common war title, Raikou no Hirameki. That name was merely given to my technique so that it could strike up fear in my country's enemies. But any, let's keep this story rolling. 

With my small confirmation of Naruto's bodily state, I got up from my kneeling position and moved quickly towards the forest. I meant to find out what had done Naruto so much physical harm, with such simple moves.

I trotted easily through the trees, keeping my eyes open for anyone or anything that could have done so. For about 50 feet, my search proved futile, until I saw HIM.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
End Chapter  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Evil aren't I? Anyways, expect more by 7:30...even if it isnt a lot...oh, and sometimes my updates here will be slightly behind the due date because I often type my stuff up at school when I have free time and FanFiction is banned. So beware.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes:  
Damn small keyboard...-.-"  
is at school so...I shall type up the next chapter for all to see...yepyep...uh...nothing really new to add here 'cept some vocab...there are quite a few double negatives in the end that can make it confusing...damn those riddle-speaking Silas Searchers, lol. And Japanese plurals are HELL, so I might have "baka" in plural wrong...so if you know the proper way, feel free to tell me... . " 

Glossary:  
Michiyuki - overcoat, normally goes over a kimono or other slightly formal Japanese wear, in the case used here, the michiyuki has nothing underneath it.

iyada - no, I don't want to\that (not used in formal situations, as it is a more childish version of "no")

ni-ko no baka - two idiots! (I know, my Japanese is rather bad, and it took an hour of searching for a reliable place to get that info, but I'm not sure I adapted the techinique right, so my grammar is probably off, and the best way to think of how "ni-ko no baka" is used would probably be like "You idiots" although "two idiots" is the direct translation [direct translations from Japanese to English and vice versa often don't make much sense)  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 4:  
Captured and Memories.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
To say the least, the boy was good-looking. The kind of melt-your-heart type. But I didn't like him the second I saw him. He was, well, dangerous looking. His clothing seemed a little impractical. He wore his white michiyuki loosely over his pale, well muscled chest. Barely visible under the wrist-length sleeves, were fingerless gloves with a hard-looking back. I knew I could safely assume they were to protect his hands from being damaged, but whether they were protecting him from his enemies or his own strength I did not know. At his midsection, a thick black cloth was roughly folded and tied by a thick purple rope. The rope was made in the twist style used by sailors. Which lead me to a quick conclusion that he might be from the sea? Which didn't really make sense, due to the fact that there were no plants that could really live in sand that I had seen so far. On his legs was a pair of loose, dull gray pants. I couldn't really tell how far they went up, because of the black cloth, but they were shoved inside dark sandal-boots. The sandal-boots went upwards to just below his knee. They appeared to be made out of a hard material. Again I knew they were to protect his shins, but from himself or others I knew not. I began to wonder how this kid could fight effectively. His calf-muscles were in constricting shields and I didn't even want to think of the arm guards. At his back was a slim sword and sheath. The entire length looked to be about three-fourths of the boy's on height. It ran at an angle so you could see the top on his right and the bottom on his left. The sheath was light in color, while a darker stripe ran through its middle. Seriously, I didn't want to tangle with him unless I had to.

But he was the least of my worries. While he was warily eyeing the portal that my friends and I had so dutifully used, I honestly didn't care. Why? You must be asking me this, since it was clear that the boy in front of me did this to Naruto. I did care, however, that a certain creature had just passed through the portal. It was visibly moving, INSIDE my Hitotoki Fukappatsu.

I knew the creature. A Silas Searcher, born and breed for the sole purpose to hunt. Specifically, to hunt down criminals or people who got on the bad side of the crown? They were long and lithe, like a grey hound, their color a pitch, shiny black. Their heads, however, were long, with vicious rows of teeth. Rather than dog feet, it had long, sharp, knife-like claws that were more meant to skewer than to slice. Their tails are armored and like extensions of spinal cords. A long sharp spear head-like tip makes it a lethal tool that is normally forgot about when one tried to fight it. They also had acid blood, so that if you actually hit one, the blood would burn through your skin. The only known thing that it DIDN'T burn through was their own bodies. But that wasn't the problem. They were made to adjust to their enemy. They would instinctively know your max speed, and all of your abilities. So, they were made to be just under your all-out abilities. So they were beatable. But the percentage rate of death when you fought 99. Not a lot of margin of life.

Gulping, I backed away, very slowly. If it caught me here, I was dead. My tattoo flared due to my fear. My Hitotoki Fukappatsu dissipated.

The boy turned sharply, shocked at how close I had gotten.

"Tch..." I hissed before I bolted for the clearing. The boy and Silas Searcher followed, hot in pursuit. 

Normally, I'm pretty fast. Exchange "pretty" for "very". Heh, I know. I probably sound all full of myself, but seriously. When you're fastest known reflex clocked faster than 400 mph and your fastest sprint negative 300 of that, you have a bit of room to talk.  
Alas, you probably want me to get back to the story, so I shall! 

Hurling myself back into open space, I whirled back around to face my pursuers, my feet skidding on the dirt and leaves.

The Silas Searcher let lose a shriek so unearthly, I felt tiny flecks of my consciousness slip away. But the boy, Sakura and Akira all yelped and writhed, clamping their hands over their tortured ears. It screamed again, the agonizing mixture of dying bird, bloodcurdling human death cry, and bat squeal sending shocks of pain in to my skull.

Then, to the visible horror on the black-haired boy's face, it began the message I'd never thought I'd hear.

"Sabakoto Akira, prince of the kingdom of Hallatusukari, you are ordered to return home for your execution. Your crime is deserting your position as heir to the throne. You will, of course, be succeeded by the Princess Hanabihikari-dono, of the kingdom of Hallatusukari. Koran Kilala, Raisakoto Koneko, you are to face unformal execution here." It's voice was like nails on a chalkboard, but it continued.

"Please, if you honor your birth and heritage, do not resist arrest. It would be most unbecoming of someone with your noble rights, former-prince Akira." The Silas Searcher, number 118 by its numbered collar, bared its teeth. I heard, seriously heard the normally inaudible filling of his lungs, as Akira a drew breath. It was that quiet.

"So...my father wishes me dead, eh? I'm glad Hana-chan is heir to the throne now. She was born to lead, unlike myself. She's always had the diplomacy and logic to get out of almost any situation. I willfully accept my execution. But I cannot allow you to murder my bodyguards. They have only done their duty in protecting me, and I should hope they live wonderful lives in return. I dismiss them now, in the presence of you, Silas Searcher 118." Akira's voice sliced into the silence like a razor-knife in warm butter. My heart nearly froze. I was free. But the price...

"I shall now return home, obediently, to submit to my father's justice and to my execution like an honored one of my mighty Sabakoto clan." Akira said firmly, moving regally forward. My innards lurched. No. No. I would **not** let him run from what he just did. That's what he really was doing. Running from his disgrace, his fear to rule. Running from the wrath of his dismissed bodyguards. Sure, we had to do as he said, but we understood him. He was running because he believed he wasn't fit to rule. That was fine. Kila and I both agreed in his judgement. He was no leader; his sister was, in more ways than one. But he was running. From us. From his only friends. His best friends.  
Akira was walking with as much dignity as a condemned teenager could, his training as an emperor-to-be forming a barrier to all that would bring him down.

"IYADA!" I yelled angrily, barely registering that I was not alone in the outburst. The blonde and Silas Search froze in unison, thoroughly shocked by negative shout. The Searcher recovered almost instantly.

"You wish to stop the law? Ninja's of this world, stay out of this matter. It neither concerns you nor requires your involvement. Dear she-teens, do you not think I hadn't planned on this? Do you not think your predictable outburst was accounted for? Ni-ko no baka!" The lithe figure lashed it's agile tail, whether in anger or as some unknown signal, I'll never be sure because at that moment an abrupt explosion caused Kila, Akira and myself to be blinded by a brilliant conflagration. Next thing I knew, I was jerked away.

------------------End Chapter-----------------------------

MUHAHAHA! Cliffies are ALWAYS fun! Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging there…for long…


	5. Chapter 5

.sighes I'm going to try to make my chapters a bit longer (which I don't understand WHY I should, since you guys get the same amount of info anyway...)  
so..I'm back to typing...we have some new words that I fell in love with! Vociferate, . "

And the story can get a bit confusing as we are shifting the POV to Kila finds she can explain more with a shifted POV

Glossary:

Neko – Cat

-P.S. I tried to impersonate you Ki-chan! But I think I failed at capturing the feeling you give off when you write…  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 5:  
The Disappearance of a Neko  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Well, Kila-dono wishes to tell this part, so I will now courteously step down from the podium and give Kila-dono the floor. Ja ne for now!

As Neko-dono said, I wanted to tell this part. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think my side of this story has a certain drama that makes a story fun. No one wants to read all that fact in the form of evil history and science text books! So to keep our story moving forward I will now step up and recite my own role in this novel. I shall continue where Neko-dono so dutifully left off.

I felt myself being carried. Blinking sleep from my eyes, I looked up. I was being carried bridal style by a man with white hair. Spiky white hair and an odd, dark blue mask. As he ran, or jumped, as I judged by the lack of jostling, his mask remained in place. It didn't move a millimeter. His eyes were creepy, plain and simple. One eye was a dark brown, to the point where one may mistake it as black. His eye had a cold glint, the kind that means that he was a killer. The other was hidden by a head band similar to that of Naruto's, except his was the same color as his mask. He appeared to have a scar partially down his cheek. I groggily wondered if that was why he covered his eye; because it was ruined by an old wound. I blinked again, unsure if what I saw was a scar or a trick of the light. The world around me dimmed and to my later irritation, I blacked out.

The next time I awoke, it was getting dark out. I knew that much from the bloody red light filtering from a white-draped window.  
"Where...am...I...?" I murmured aloud. Groaning, I sat up on the soft bed. A sudden rush brought everything back.  
"WAKKA-SAMA! Neko-dono..." I vociferated, but let my voice trail off. No, it couldn't be true, it just couldn't! I stiffened. Was that breathing?  
"H...hello?" I ventured hesitantly, my voice gaining a bit of strength.  
"Ung..." Came the moaned reply of my blonde charge. Immediately, I emerged from my bed, but quickly froze. My old clothes were gone, replaced by pale blue, knee-length shorts and a matching t-shirt. I guessed it was uniform hospital-wear, because now that my brain was functioning, I figured that's where we were.  
I continued forward and a light pain in my wrist caused me to stop again. An IV ran from my wrist to a drip bag on a wheeled metal stand. Hissing my breath through my teeth in very light frustration, I grabbed the stand and stormed over to the bed where the moan had come from.  
"You okay?" I inquired as I personally checked his pulse. It wasn't that I thought something was wrong with him. It was because I didn't trust the machine he was hooked up to.  
"Naw, I'm laying in a bed because I think its sooo soooft." Akira snapped in reply, his sarcasm catching me off guard. Something wasn't right and it showed on his face.  
"What's wrong, Akira-kun?" I questioned softly, using first name for the first time in the 3 years since his naming ask heir.  
"You honestly haven't noticed?" He hissed incredulously, not bothering to hide his emotions like he normally did.  
"No...I haven't noticed anything wro...ng..." I whirled, my eyes skimming everything in sight. Mentally, I sent out a desperate inquiry for her.  
"Kila-kun..." Akira whispered, using the -kun suffix for the first time in so long Kila had forgotten. I slowly returned my gaze to him, hoping the growing pain at what was coming didn't show on in my mahogany brown eyes. "She didn't come with us."  
"Wh...What are you saying?" I choked out, my breath seizing in my throat.  
"Neko never came out of that smoke with us. And neither did that Sakura girl." Akira confided, breaking eye contact as his own voice snagged at the end. For the first time in 7 years, I thought I might just cry.

After assuring myself that Akira was fine, I returned to the bed that I had been given. I refused to think of it as mine. I didn't belong here, and neither did Akira. We belonged with Neko, and vice versa. We couldn't separate now, after the 6 years our trio spent together. I stared at the ceiling for what seemed like eternity. I sent out mental siren that was so loud and high pitched that Akira inhaled sharply with each one. Night had long settled. I vaguely wondered if we were prisoners. But, it wasn't as if I cared at the moment.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
End Chapter  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Sad and depressing ending, what do you think? Rather short for just typing for an hour and a half (as you know [I should hope, because I think I might have mentioned it, I write out my story on paper then just type it)...but hey, what can I do? chapter 5 is done...chapter 6 will be up later this week...I hope...I have a video I need to work on, so it may be awhile before I write again...oh, and thanks my dear friends for the reviews…and sorry, Kila if you think I could have hidden emotion better…but don't worry, Neko goes into a shocked state and, like, has all these flashbacks . " Kyokyo!


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: umm…this chapter is probably going to end up being long…has a lot of stuff to include

Glossary:

Hai – yes, positive reply

Gomen Nasai – I am very sorry, I'm so sorry (this is the polite version, as "wari" and "gomen" can mean sorry as well)

Chichioya – father (normally used in formal conversations)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6: Trapped in the Room of No Exit

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yeah, I got a bit depressed. Neko-dono, grace us with your side of this small section.

Hai! I shall, my dear friend, retell the story from my perspective! I haven't actually told you about this experience, have I, Kila-dono? Anyways, I shall recite this to the best of my ability, but be prepared to be seated for awhile.

I awoke to the sound of a Silas Searcher. It was shrieking in anger, or so it was to my trained ear. The ground I lay upon was like ice. Shaking my head to clear away the blanket on my senses, I glanced around. I was in a small room. The ceiling was only about 5 ½ feet, so I would be forced to scrunch myself a bit to walk around. Although, I wasn't sure what type of walking I would be doing, because the room was only 6 feet wide and 6 feet long. No windows and there seemed to be no door. The only light was emanating from the walls themselves, and that was a dull, dim blue.

Fighting sudden panic, I forced myself to my feet. My joints were stiff, my muscles cramped. It was a clear clue that I had been sleeping for over twelve hours.

I staggered over to a wall. Placing my hand on it, I realized it was perfectly smooth. They were so smooth that my fingers didn't even grip their slippery surface.

Sighing, I walked along the wall, running my hand over the unnaturally refined surface. There was a time in my 15 years that I hadn't worked for Akira. I had been street scum until the age of 7, where I had been caught and brought to a genetics lab for experiments. But before the lab had taken Kila and I, I had been placed in a prison. Even now I remember the day as clear as crystalline glass. It was the day I met Kila, and the day my life changed forever.

I had stolen some bread, whole wheat bread, the kind only old and rich people liked. But I had been caught in the act. So I ran. I knew the streets better than I knew my own mind. Using every shortcut and difficult passage way I knew, I fled. But a 7-year-old, even one conditioned to such circumstances, only had so much endurance. I slipped into one of the small spaces where water drains from the streets. The specific one I slipped into was in front of a huge mansion with a sharp, spiky fence.

Curling up inside the cramped space, I began to bolt down the bread. It was the first taste of food I had eaten in 3 days. It had a savory, sweet flavor. A whimper from the very back of the narrow space between the street and the sewers caused me to stiffen and whirl. I squinted into the darkness, my night sight allowing me to see through the dim light. A small, scrawny girl crouched there. Her hair fell around her shoulders and back in a shaggy, matted mane. Her clothes consisted of a filthy t-shirt with a long forgotten color and holey, grimy jeans. Her attire was very much like my own. Her eyes seemed as black as the sewer water and she seemed exhausted. The girl whimpered again, looking hopefully at the bread in my hand.

"Mine." I growled angrily, shielding the scrumptious bread from her view.

"O…okay…" She murmured, trying to focus on my illuminated frame. It was clear she was having difficulty seeing me. Sighing, I broke off a small piece of bread and held out my hand. The girl hurried forward and snatched the bread away before I could change my mind.

"Thank you, so much!" She whispered, understanding I was in hiding. She demolished the sliver of bread in seconds as I finished my own remaining hunk. The sounds of metal boots hitting pavement and orders being issued reached my ears. I went rigid and backed into the crevice until my back touched the girl's arms.

"Enforcers?" She inquired almost inaudibly.

"Hai." I replied in the same manner. The rhythmatic drumming of uniform boots reinforced with steel thundered through the ground. Those very boots were what gave the Enforcers their name. Instinctively, I crouched lower, the fear of being seen that had been drilled into my childhood forcing me to flatten myself and, in turn, the girl behind me against the wall.

Feet stormed by and I tried the press back even further, although I knew it was pointless. The hole resounded with the thunder of the soldiers. If worse came to worse, I would hurl myself into the sewer, whose openings were both on my left and right. Rule of the street, always leave yourself more than one escape route. Who knows what misfortunes might fall on you?

Soldiers began to beat off rhythm and a pair of boots stopped in front of the drain's opening. Gulping, I realized they were going to inspect the drains, since I had seemingly vanished. It wasn't uncommon for street kids to hide in drains. Why else would two young kids be in a storm drain?

Without so much as a whisper, I tapped the girl behind me on the hand and prepared to launch myself down the left hole. The world seemed almost eternally silent, and I could swear that the soldier could hear my heart thudding so very like his boots. Suddenly, a hose the shape of the drain feel across the opening. Water surged into the drains. I spat a curse and hurdled down the left hole. With a splash I landed on the sewer floor, reeking water covered my feet.

I sprinted through the tunnel, my mind rushing along the passage ways. I was following the girl trying to decide where I should break off or if I should head for the river. Both of us suddenly reacted to an opening where the light was dimmer than normal. The girl got there first and started up the vertical incline, her tanned feet scrambling on the filthy walls.

Abruptly she let lose the shriek of a feral animal being caught. Her legs struggled to gain purchase on the slimy walls that were betraying her to someone on the outside.

"IYADAA!" The girl's bloodcurdling scream blasted into the tunnels.

I lunged forth and grabbed her ankle. Throwing my weight into it, I hauled her writhing form back into the tunnel. Dimly, a man's scream drifted through my thoughtless rage. Sudden slack on the opposing force caused me to fall head first onto the hard concrete, with the girl toppling on top of me.

"Oof…" I wheezed as the breath was forced out of my frail chest. The girl quickly clambered off of me and streaked down the tunnel. I followed in pursuit, my scrawny legs pumping to put distance between the kidnapping hole and myself.

As the both of us slowed to a trot, I began to take note of my surroundings. I had never actually been this far into the tunnels, although I knew they drained into the huge sewage lake for processing. My childish mind was beginning to wonder if we would ever make it out, when a dull roar reached my ears.

I whirled, my eyes scanning the din for anything that would be the cause of such a noise. The floor began to shake slightly. I ran blindly, barely noting that the girl followed my lead, and the both of us dashed for a way out. The roar grew steadily louder. I observed that the darkness faded away and details began to stand out at me. I could no longer hear my feet over the deafening noise. Gasping for breath, I wheeled around a turn, my momentum making it difficult to turn. The girl who was slightly ahead of myself let lose another scream that quickly faded away. I soon knew why.

The ground beneath my feet was gone, replaced by air. I fell down a long tunnel, the roar of whatever was following us growing all the while.

With a harsh splash, I hit the water. My skinny frame inhaled the vile substance as I struggled for the surface. A hand grasped my own in the disorienting water. It hauled me upwards and I broke to the surface. A log in the river worked as a good floatation device for the un-swimming type I was.

"Can you swim?" The girl had saved me. I was coughing up the fetid water and gasping in the sweet oxygen as it raced through my nostrils.

"No...Not really." I rasped through my rough inhalations of air. At this point, I stole a few glances around. The roar had returned, and as my eyes fell upon the tunnel that we had exited from, a huge spray of water gushed forth. It caused a series of large waves to rush at the girl and myself. We were lifted and dropped rapidly, causing my water-filled stomach to lurch. I heaved into the water, throwing up the junk that would make me sick again later.

"Come on; let's kick towards that service tunnel. It should shield us from the worst of these waves." The girl instructed kindly, and I was not about to disobey my savior in the protest to head back the way we had come.

It took the work of only a couple minutes before we had arrived at the service tunnel's entrance. The both of us kicked at the water, propelling us forward into the wide canal. It was made of concrete (no surprises there) that was left rough so that the tires of vehicles could move across it with slipping or sliding down into the water. We soon saw the water line, where the water met with the dryer concrete. Less than 5 minutes later, my feet scraped the bottom of the canal; the sharp pain of having a bit of skin scraped triggering the instinct to stand.

The girl also stood, and we sloshed to the edge of the water. I promptly sat down, the exhaustion of the past two hours or so depleting my strength.

"We can't stay here. They'll be searching the service tunnels soon. Why, do you wonder, are they being so persistent? It was just a loaf of bread..." The girl murmured to herself, lost in thought.

"I dunno..." I answered the question that wasn't directed at me due to old habit, "Thank you, for saving me. I probably would have drowned if you hadn't been there..."

"Hmm? Oh...no problem. I would have done the same even if I hadn't known you. My name is Kilala, and yours?" She said with an odd bubbly cheer.

"Uhh...Koneko..." Was my thoughtless reply. The sudden sound of metal boots jolting me out of any thought I might have had. I leaped to me feet.

"Time to go!" I hissed to myself and tore off down the service tunnel. The concrete was rough and ripped at the calluses on my feet. I ignored the pain and continued onwards.

Kilala followed with an equal speed. The walls were way to steep for either of us to climb. I doubted that even an adult could climb such steep walls. My foot slipped on a lose stone and I tumbled forward. I rolled with the impact, remembering that it lessened the damage of a fall. My knee-cap burned but I got up and sprinted onwards. A dark hole loomed ahead. Only one way to go, into the dark, evil-looking tunnel.

We had slowed to a trot once we lost sight of the entrance. The sound of the boots had long since faded, but you could never really be to careful. I felt the strain of the day start to pull on my bones and muscles. I was getting tired. My eyes scanned the darkness. I had relatively good sight in the dark, due to constantly spending hours upon hours wandering the tunnels under the city. The concrete wall in front of us was suddenly illuminated by a light. It wasn't a natural light, due to its steady glow. Gulping, I tapped Kilala on the shoulder. In the reflecting light, I saw her nod. The soldiers were here, moving with an insane silence. They were still searching for me.

"Can you fight at all?" I whispered in the silent manner I used on some many occasions before. Kilala nodded again. The light grew brighter, allowing us to see the edges on the opening. I padded silently to one, whilst Kilala went to the other. In a mutual understanding, the both of us refused to be caught without giving a good fight first.

I grinned at the folly of my seven-year-old self. It was humorous. How a girl so young could be such a fighter. Even now, I'd rather fight than run all the time. It just made more sense. My hands reached the end of the second wall and I started on the third wall. The first one had long been completed. My mind sank back into the past, drifting into it like a feather falling to the earth.

A single solider wandered through the arch-way. In unison, Kilala and I lurched forward. The man jerked around in time to get a flying side-kick in the chest followed by a punch in the nose, along with a sharp kick to the shins and punch in the stomach. The man dropped like a stone.

"I think I might have killed him with that nose-punch...I felt the cartilage break beneath my fist..." Kilala hissed, mortified. I quickly fell upon the man's equipment. I turned off his flash-torch and began dragging him to the closest spot where he wouldn't be easily spotted. A loud voice pierced the silence, raising goose-bumps on my flesh.

"Strall? You still with us?" A man's voice, one of the dead guy's companions. Kilala quickly vanished; I could no longer make out her slim form in the darkness. My eyes narrowed against the rapidly brightening light.

"Oye! You there Strall? This isn't the time to be playing games, or running off!" A different voice echoed from further back in the tunnel. My instincts were screaming for me to get out of there, but I couldn't move. Not only because of fear, but because I'd be deserting Kilala and I'd give away that we were here. The man turned the corner and his flash-torch stayed straight ahead. He had missed us. That was good. but apparently, he didn't think so. He turned around to return to his teammates and his flash-torch caught the dead man's shiny boots.

Again, I reached the end of the wall. Perfectly smooth. This was getting weird. How did they plan to feed me, or let me us the restroom? I began working on the fourth and final wall. I would check the low ceiling after I finished, and then I'd do the floor. I returned to my past.

"HEY! We've got a man down here! Hostiles are probably in the area. I need a man to get the body out, and I need men to help me sweep the area!" The man's voice ordered with an air of command. His flash-torch ran along the man, and then found me. I held extremely still, like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck. The light was blindingly bright. I felt my pupils contract as they made direct contact with the brilliant conflagration.

"Koneko! MOVE!" Kilala's holler jolted me out of the transfixing light. I hurled forward just as a tranquilizer-dart hit where I had been milliseconds before. Running blindly only works in the movies. As I hurled myself unseeingly into the darkness, my head met stone and I lost consciousness.

I winced at the memory of pain. It had been pretty bad, even for me now. Running head first into concrete would have that effect on anyone. Shaking my head, I continued running my experienced hands over the fourth wall.

When I came to, I was painfully aware of the throbbing in my head. The world smelt of antiseptic and icy steel. The frigid tang of the scent made me sneeze a few times. Moaning, I uprighted myself and yelped as my already pained head cracked against a steel wall above me. Clutching my head again, I looked about. I was in a cage made from stainless steel plates. The door was the only exception; it was made of a stainless steel mesh that had holes large enough to accommodate my entire hand.

My mind raced. I had been captured. I crawled over to the mesh of steel that served as a door. Across the room, another cage housed a slumbering form, which I immediately assumed was Kilala. I had to get out of that cage! It was small and cramped and reeked of metal.

Slipping my hand through one of the highest holes in the door, I felt along the roof of the container. My sensitive hand brushed against various ridges and bumps. A square feeling nub on the roof caught the attention of my hand. It was placed around the center of the cage. I examined it with my hand, searching for something that would trigger the door to open. My hand found a small opening on the other side of the nub. Straining my arm to maximum length, I grasped the nub with my fingers and pulled. Muscles that weren't normally used strained in my arm as I pulled the catch. It came loose with a pop. A fiery pain in one of my fingers alerted me that I had broken a nail.

The door fell down with a loud clatter. I winced at the sharpness of the racket. I quickly climbed out of the cage and made my way over to the cage that held Kilala hostage. Grasping the clasp on her cage, I pulled. It was easier this time, due to the fact that I was no longer in an abnormal position. I was aware of the door this time and caught it before it hit the floor. I set it down gently.

Before I entered the second cage, I glanced about. The room was completely white and soft looking. A door stood to my left, though it had no doorknob. Another door stood at my right where the doorknob was visible, though I knew instantly that there would be no possible escape route through it.

Shaking my head, I hurried through the now open cage. I shook Kilala's shoulder hard, trying to rouse her from sleep. She awoke, and groaned groggily.

"Where…am I?" She muttered almost incoherently.

"I don't know. We're in this room…" I whispered, worried that if I spoke any louder that my voice would give away my fear.

Kilala's eyes opened wide and she brushed past me to see the room for herself. She exited the cage, and I followed in a depressed manner. Something told me that we'd be in here for a long time.

At this point, I remember how empty the room had been. It had been a horribly long time that we had been forced to stay in there. They brought us food. The door that had been on my right lead to a bathroom, with a shower, toilet and sink. I finished the fourth wall, and then proceeded to feel across the roof. My memory returned like a nightmare.

Pain flared through my small body. It had been 6 weeks since we had been brought to that little room. They came, everyday. They did weird things to me and Kilala. Painful things. The antiseptic scent had begun to make me feel sick. The things they did to me constantly sent me to the bathroom to throw up the little meals they brought. Kilala wasn't any better off.

I first noticed changes in myself when I had retaliated to one of the men in white coats. He had tried to take me out of my cage and I lashed out. My feet caught his shin and I heard a sickening crack. I knew without looking that it had been broken. In my shock, a couple other people in white coats had scooped me up and were taking me into the room they called, "Lab II".

After that, changes came faster, and more painful. I became stronger, more athletic. They made me run on a moving-belt-thing for hours. The longest time I think I ran on it was about 8 hours. They would inflict pain upon me if I tried to stop or slow down. I only stopped because I simply couldn't go on at all. They had to replace the white-coated people with these burly men. They picked us up easily, they took the damage Kilala and I inflicted upon them as if it were a kitten batting a small toy.

I became insensitive and uncaring. I lost sense of time. All I knew was that when I awoke, more bad things would happen. More pain, more agony.

Soon, Kilala and I both learned how to cope. We no longer threw up or fought back. At this point in our "conditioning", as the white-coated men called it, we were taking to training courses. We learned how to use swords. We learned marksmanship, hand-to-hand, balance, endurance, flexibility, and so many other things. Our conditioning caused us to become elite machines that could handle all of this and retain the information we learned. We could demonstrate each new skill we learned flawlessly within hours of being taught.

With all of this physical changes, came the changes to our minds. We were at the point where we only knew orders. We lost most of our independent functions that weren't necessary. We needed to be told to shower, to eat, to utilize our weapons, to fight. We still retained the ability to use the restroom on our own.

After our fight-training had been completed, we learned other things. We were taught to cook, to play instruments, to write poetry, to completely use a computer (which including hacking, rapid internet searches, making videos, editing software, using the command prompt, altering passwords, and many other things). We learned to take apart things and reassemble them exactly as were before they had been dissembled. We became knowledgeable on how to hunt, how to search someone's home and not leave a trace of your existence behind, every ounce of geography in our world. We learned what temperatures are inhabitable and how to survive when they aren't a good quality for human life.

We learned all of this and much more in a course of approximately eight months. After it was determined that we had memorized everything, we were introduced to Akira. Sabakoto Akira, heir to the throne of our country, Hallatusukari. At the time, he was about our age. He had just turned eight and could no longer be properly contained by the Royal Guard. He needed elite bodyguards of his own, which is what we had been trained for. The day we were introduced was another revolutionary day in my life.

As I finished the ceiling, I promptly moved to examine every inch of the floor. My mind was partially enjoying the flashback, as it fended off my growing fear of being completely trapped inside this insanely small room.

"Chichioya, you have brought me my own bodyguards?" Inquired a young green-eyed blonde. His voice was young, but held a commanding air, like a prince. His face was pale, like one who rarely saw direct sunlight. His hair was near platinum but had a few strawberry-like streaks.

"Yes…due to certain circumstances, you can no longer use my private guard. You need your own, individual guards," A tall man with deep brown hair that had gray streaks replied. His eyes were the same emerald color as his son's. He wore a royal purple cloak across his shoulders and an eternal blue silk shirt. His breeches were made of finely spun cotton and were dyed black. An intricately carved sword hung at his waist. The hilt was silver with an encrusted sapphire at the tip, whilst the steel blade was hidden in a well-made black sheath.

"Ok…and when do I meet with these bodyguards?" The blonde child asked, his emerald eyes rising to meet his father's.

"You will meet them after they arrive from the Hintsuku training camps. If you had paid closer attention to your geography lessons, you would know that the Hintsuku only make their camps in the valleys of the great Berain Mountains." The emperor-figure snapped angrily, shocked at how little his son knew.

"Gomen nasai, Chichioya. I will be sure to pay closer attention to my studies." The young boy murmured, averting his eyes. He didn't like it when his father grew mad with him.

A vehicle pulled up to the servants' entrance that the pair was watching over. A strong man exited, and opened the rear door. Two young girls, dressed in Hallatusukari royal bodyguard issue, clambered gracefully from the back of the black Hummer that pulled up.

The trio moved quickly into the building and out of sight. Akira watched, interested. The sound of footsteps fading brought him out of his curiosity. Stealing a glance behind him, he just caught the sight of his father's cloak vanishing behind a turn. Refusing to make a public display of frustration, he hurried after his father, taking extreme care not to be caught running. He hurried down the hallway, and turned down a grand staircase. It had been made of white and pink marble. He trotted as elegantly as an eight-year-old boy can down the fifty steps to the bottom. He stopped his trot but walked as fast as he could towards the servants' entrance.

"Akira!" His father sharply snapped his name, almost like one of the vile words. At the cue, Akira lost his composure and dashed for the servants' entrance. The two girls stood there, staring blankly ahead.

"I trust they've been properly trained and modified?" The King said coolly, his voice educated and hard.

"Yes, they have been, sire. I would think you would be able to trust such jobs to me by now." The man said. Upon close examination, he was balding and smelt faintly of tobacco smoke.

"They have names, I should assume?" The King inquired with an almost incoherent drop in eloquence.

"Of course. This is Koran Kilala. She's a wind-type in all manners. The other is Raisakoto Koneko. She is a lightning type. Both possess the requirements as well as a great much more. Here are their papers, along with their own hand-written oaths to the Prince Akira." The man said briskly and business-like.

"If that is all, Epponge, then you are free to leave or stay a few days before the travel back." The King said kindly, his eyes thawing into ones full of friendship.

"If it's not at all much trouble, I should like to stay here…" Epponge replied, inclining his head to the King.

I finished the floor. A single drop of water fell onto my hands. Vaguely I wondered if I was crying or if it had fallen from the completely enclosed room. I was stuck here, with only my memories.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow…I finished…this is the longest chapter I've ever written…10 PAGES!!! And about 4030 words…


End file.
